Rain actuated means for operating lawn sprinkler systems



July 15, 1958 B. s. scRlvER 2,843,693

RAIN ACTUATED MEANS FOR OPERATING LAWN SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Filed March 21,1957 as 22 -ao ,.)5 \&

Fia.

INVENTOR. BERT 5. ScRwER,

A 1' TORNEY.

nited States Patent RAIN ACTUATED MEANS FOR OPERATING LAWN SPRINKLERSYSTEMS Bert S. Scriver, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Application March 21, 1957, Serial No. 647,588

1 Claim. (Cl. 200-85) This invention relates to a rain responsivecircuit closure device that is primarily employed to actuate a sprinklersystem for lawns, gardens, orchards and the like and whereby the deviceserves to actuate electrical control means embodied within conventionalsprinkler systems, either for controlling valve mechanisms normallyemployed where the sprinkler system is connected to a city water supplyor for actuating an electrically driven pump where the sprinkler systemis connected to a well or other water supply.

The invention contemplates a balanced mechanism that is provided with awater accumulating pan that is disposed in a position for receiving rainwater and that normally balances the mechanism to a circuit interruptingposition in the presence of rain and that will be overbalanced bymechanism in the absence of rain for a predetermined period whereby themechanism is overbalanced in an opposite direction to complete anelectrical circuit to the control mechanism for the sprinkler system.

The device embodies a novel form of rocker arm having the waterreceptacle at the outer end thereof and with the rocker arm havingdisposed thereon a roller device that is weighted in a manner tooverbalance the water receptacle in the absence of rain and whereby theroller device will shift to overbalance the rocker arm to establish theelectrical circuit.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be moreclearly apparent during the course of the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has beenillustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like charactersof reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the severalfigures.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through the device, parts being shownin elevation and with the parts being illustrated in full lines in oneinoperative position and in dotted lines in an operative position,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 22 ofFigure l and,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates ahousing as a whole, formed of metal or any other desirable material. Thehousing is generally rectangular and is open at its upper side. A cover6 is disposed over the upper side of the housing for protection of theenclosed elements, against rain or othe foreign matter. One end of thehousing indicated at 7 is provided with an opening 8. The housing 5 issupported in any desirable position by a flange 9 that is rigidlyattached to a supporting member 10, such as a bracket or other devicewhereby the housing may be arranged in a position where it will besubjected to falling rain. The housing may be disposed upon a roof of anadjacent building or it may be supported upon a stake or the like at aproper elevation where it will be free from unauthorized contact.

Mounted within the housing 5 is a rocker arm 11. The rocker arm isgenerally rectangular in cross-section. The rocker arm is supported upona cross-shaft'lZ that is journalled at its opposite end in any desirablebearings 13 in a manner whereby the arm 11 may rock in a vertical plane.The rocker arm 11 extends forwardly through the opening 8 to projectoutwardly of the housing for the fixed support of a pan 14. The pan 14is of predetermined dimensions and is formed open at its top. The up perside is closed by a foraminous cover 15, such as screen wire or the likeand whereby to prevent the entry of trash or other elements within thepan that would normally interfere with the balancing effect of rainwater entering the pan. The forward wall 16 of the pan is provided withan overflow aperture 17 that is positioned at a predetermined point togovern the amount of water permitted to collect therein.

Shiftably disposed upon the rocker arm 11 at a point rearwardly of theshaft 12, is a roller 18 having flanged ends 19 that engage the oppositeedges of the arm 11. The path of rolling action of the roller 18 uponthe upper surface of the arm 11 is determined by L-shaped stops 20 and21 that are adjustably connected upon the surface of the arm 11 byscrews 22. The stops 20 and 21 may be adjusted in accordance with thedesired balancing action of the roller with respect to the pan 14 andwhereby to very accurately control the actuation of the device inaccordance with the desired period of actuation.

Mounted upon the underside of the arm 11, as by any suitable clip device23, is a conventional mercury switch 24. Leading from one end of theswitch 24 are a pair of conductors 25, that are trained downwardlythrough a conduit 26 to the element or elements to be controlled by thedevice. The conductors 25 are sufficiently long as to permit of the freeswinging movement of the arm 11; Fixed upon a rear wall of the housing 5is an upper stop 27 that limits the swinging movement of the arm to acircuit interrupting position, while a lower stop or pad 28 is engagedby the arm 11 and that limits the movement of the arm 11 to an operativeor circuit closing position.

In the use of the device, when there is an absence of rain, the roller18 will overbalance the pan 14, causing the inner end of the arm 11 toswing downwardly at a predetermined position of swinging movement, theroller 18 will roll downwardly against the stop 21, causing the mercurywithin the switch 24 to close the circuit through the conductors 25 andactuating the mechanism that controls the sprinkler system. It will beapparent of course that mechanism within the sprinkler system willdetermine just how long the sprinkler system will actuate and willautomatically interrupt the flow of water in accordance with the settingof the time interval for the sprinklers. Normally, if there is no rain,the automatic valve mechanism or a timer device in the sprinkler systemwill periodically actuate the system and such systems have heretoforebeen employed having time clocks or the like to determine the period ofoperation and the device of this invention is primarily concerned withcircuit interrupting means whereby the circuit to the time clock andother elements embodied within the sprinkler system may be effectivelycontrolled. Now, when it begins to rain, rain water will collect in thepan 14 and when a suificient volume of water has been collected therein,such volume being recognized as suflicient to water the surroundingarea, the rocker arm will be overbalanced by the weight of the water,swinging the arm in a reverse direction and causing the roller 18 toroll forwardly to engage the stop 20. A continuous rain will overflowthrough the aperture 17, so that at no time can there be collected morethan a predetermined volume of water within the pan. If the rain isinsufficient to create enough volume to overbalance the weight of theroller 18, then the roller will remain against the stop 21, maintainingthe circuit in a closed condition. When sufiicient water has evaporatedfrom the pan 14, the weight of the roller 18 will again overbalance thepan 14, swinging the arm 11 downwardly to again establish a circuit tothe control mechanisms of the sprinkler system. The position of theaperture 17 definitely establishes the volume of water that may becollected in the pan, such volume being capable of balancing the arm 11to a circuit interrupting position, and the circuit interruptingposition of the arm 11 will remain in overbalanced relation until all ofthe water has evaporated from the pan 14 and, the time of evaporationwill obviously depend upon the atmospheric condition, such as thehumidity count. Obviously, where the humidity is high, there will berelatively little water absorption from the ground and, when thehumidity is low, the water in the pan evaporates much more rapidly andfor the same reason, the absorption of the water from the ground is muchmore rapid hence, the device is only operable when there is an actualneed for the sprinkler system to be placed in operation.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that there has been provided anovel arrangement of balance arm 11 having the roller 18 disposed in aposition with respect to the shaft 12 whereby the device is actuated toand from a circuit closing position in accordance with the degree ofrainfall and the rate of evaporation of water in the pan. The mechanismwithin the housing is protected against the elements while the pan 14 isprotected by the cover 15 against the collection of trash or otherelements that would interfere with the accurate operation of the device.The parts are few and simple, are strong, durable, require no attention,are cheap to manufacture and are accurate to a relatively high degree.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precisearrangement shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fallwithin the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scopeof the subjoined claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

A rain actuated circuit closer for actuating a sprinkler system,comprising a housing and a support therefor, a rocker arm pivotallydisposed in the housing to rock in a vertical plane, one end of the armprojecting beyond the housing, an open receptacle carried upon theextended end of the arm and disposed in a manner to receive andaccumulate rainwater, the said receptacle constituting balance meanswhen water is accumulated therein, a shiftable weight disposed upon thearm portion within the housing, means for limiting the shifting movementof the weight, a circuit closer carried by the arm and that serves toestablish and interrupt a flow of current to the sprinkler system, thesaid receptacle when filled to a predetermined level with rainwaterserving to overbalance the weight for rocking the arm to a positionwhere the circuit closer interrupts the flow of current to the sprinklersystem, the last named movement of the arm causing the weight to shiftto a point adjacent the pivotal means, the said weight overbalancing thereceptacle when a predetermined amount of water has evaporated to causethe arm to swing in a reverse direction to actuate the circuit closer toagain establish a fiow of current to the sprinkler system, the saidweight being simultaneously shifted to a greater overbalancing positionto maintain the sprinkler system energized until the receptacle hasagain accumulated the predetermined body of water, the said weightcomprises a roller having flanged ends that overlie theedges of the arm,the said roller partaking of a rolling action upon the surface of thearm to and from an overbalancing relation to the receptacle, adjustablestops carried by the arm and whereby to limit the rolling action of theroller and stop means in the housing that are engaged by the inner endof the arm for limiting its vertical swinging movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,217,036 McManus Feb. 20, 1917 1,925,633 Gulick Sept. 5, 1933 2,494,819Lane Ian. 17, 1950

